


Facade

by AceTrainerHope



Category: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Dragons, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 08:05:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21096161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceTrainerHope/pseuds/AceTrainerHope
Summary: It was easy to forget that such power hid within someone who usually seemed so defenseless and vulnerable.Until, of course, it was staring him right in the face.





	Facade

**Author's Note:**

> You know what we never really had in Sacred Stones that I kinda wish we did?  
Characters reacting to the fact that there's a small girl who can transform into a _giant freakin' dragon._  
So yeah I wanted to explore that a bit with this lil piece.  
I hope you all enjoy~ uwu

Ephraim never felt more alive than when he was fighting _ for _his life.

Something about the thrill of it all, the adrenaline pulsing through his veins as he slew any foe that sought to slay him or his friends in turn—whether that foe was an enemy soldier or a terrible monstrosity that came crawling straight out of someone’s nightmares.

Monstrosities like the ones he and his allies were currently facing, from the hoards of wights shambling along the battlefield, to the hulking cyclops with their massive axes. 

Wights, though rather staggering in their numbers and just as gruesome to look upon, were the easiest to deal with. Given that they were little more than skeletons held together by black magic, they all but fell apart in one or two blows. 

Creatures like the maelduin offered more of a challenge. They were a hardier lot, possessing all the speed and stamina of a warhorse mixed with the strength and skill of a berserker. However, their equine bodies were hardly a match for Siegmund’s might. 

Cyclops, though… Cyclops were a foe that Ephraim found nearly impossible to take down on his own. Their thick hide was more like stone than skin, and the weapons they wielded were larger and heavier than anything a normal human could carry. 

All and all, it wasn’t ideal to try and fight them one-on-one.

Which was why it was rather problematic that two of the ugly bastards happened to be flanking him at the moment, cutting him off from the rest of his allies. 

Perhaps rushing on ahead hadn’t been the best idea… 

No use dwelling on how he’d gotten himself into this mess, though. He needed to focus on how to get himself _ out _of it.

If he could just outmaneuver them and regroup with the others—

One of the brutes swung out at him with its axe, but Ephraim dodged the blow easily, steering his horse to the left.

Only to be met with a jarring impact that stopped him in his tracks and threw him from the saddle. His steed collapsed after letting out a god-awful shriek, and he himself collided with the hard earth beneath him, earning a few scrapes to his face along the way.

As his senses came rushing back to him, it didn’t take the young lord long to figure out what had happened. 

After the first cyclops had attacked, the second one moved in for an attack of its own, taking advantage of the fact that Ephraim had been temporarily distracted. 

It seemed that he’d underestimated them, thinking they were all brawn and no brain. Hopefully this would be a mistake he would get to learn from… 

Unfortunately, the two cyclops were already closing in to strike again, and Ephraim still hadn’t managed to stand back up just yet. 

By the time he managed to scramble up onto his feet, one of them was about midway through bringing its axe down on him. 

_ Shit. _

Readying his lance, Ephraim braced for impact. There was no way he would be able to block such a mighty blow, but he could at least _ try. _ After all, it might lessen the damage somewhat, if only just a little. 

_ “Ephraim!” _

Right as his eyes snapped shut, that shout reached his ears. 

In the heat of the moment, he couldn’t be entirely certain, but… it almost sounded like Myrrh. 

_ Gods, _ he really hoped that wasn’t the case. 

Ephraim had _ told _ her to stick to the rear-guard, where it would be safer. Up near the front lines, where the fighting would inevitably be more intense, there was no telling what kind of danger the young girl might face, and the last thing he wanted was for her to—

_ WHAM. _

The impact finally came, although… not quite in the way he had expected. Once again, he was knocked to the ground, sent sprawling on his back this time around. But what he had felt definitely wasn’t the blade of an axe. It felt more like something—or some_ one _—had rammed into him, shoving him off of his feet.

As the young lord open his eyes, a wall of golden scales greeted him, practically filling his entire field of view.

A quick glance at his surroundings revealed an absolutely massive creature standing over his prone form, completely engulfing him in its shadow. 

Not but a second later, a primal roar tore through the air, the volume nearly deafening him. 

And then came the fire.

Ephraim could only watch as the two cyclops were lit ablaze, instantly consumed by the flames that had appeared out of nowhere. They vanished just as swiftly, and all that remained was a pair of charred corpses, as well as the axes that the brutes had once held. 

Several of the trees standing close by were marred with deep burns as well, indicative of a devastating blast radius. Given the amount of damage dealt, it was almost as if a dozen Elfire tomes had been used all at once.

Even sitting a few feet away, the heat was like nothing Ephraim had ever felt before. He continued to stare at the scene laid out before him with a strange mix of fear and awe. 

That is, until the creature looming above him started move. It shifted back several steps, possibly trying to position itself to get a better look at him. As such, Ephraim got a better look at _ it _ in turn. 

In many ways, it reminded him of a wyvern—albeit on a much larger scale. 

Reptilian eyes like two gleaming emeralds stared down at him, both easily the size of his fists. Its golden hide almost seemed to glow as well, even with only faint streams of sunlight managing to break through the thick canopy overhead. 

Claws like obsidian daggers left deep grooves in the ground beneath its feet, their sharpness matched only by the creature’s glistening white fangs. 

Right away, Ephraim knew exactly what he was looking at.

_ This… _was a dragon. 

Much like the one that had helped the Five Heroes of old defeat the Demon King all those centuries ago. He’d seen plenty of depictions of them in books and murals, but to actually see one in the flesh—and _ this close _ to him, no less—was a whole new experience. 

_ “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” _ a familiar voice asked, although it sounded… almost warped, in a sense—there was almost a sort of echo to it. It was Myrrh’s, surely, but…

Looking around somewhat frantically, Ephraim couldn’t see her anywhere. 

She sounded so close, though. 

In fact, it almost sounded like the voice was coming from—

_ “Ephraim?” _

The dragon lowered its head a bit, tilting it ever so slightly to one side. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Ephraim could’ve sworn he saw a look of concern adorning its features. 

_ “Are you okay?” _

“I… Ah, yeah, yes, I’m fine,” he stammered out rather quickly, trying to make up for his hesitation. “Thank you, Myrrh.” 

Honestly, it had taken him a good moment or two to actually recognize her. He realized now that the creature’s golden scales were a perfect match to the ones on Myrrh’s wings. 

Obviously he _ knew _ that she was a dragon, but…

Ephraim was just so used to seeing her as a young girl in need of his protection—her shyness and soft-spoken nature didn’t do her any favors in that regard.

It was easy to forget that such power hid within someone who usually seemed so defenseless and vulnerable. 

Until, of course, it was staring him right in the face. 

_ “Should we try to regroup with the others?” _

Myrrh’s question interrupted his musings and brought his attention back to the present. Right—now definitely wasn’t the time to be getting lost in thought. Not when they still had plenty of monsters to fight.

He gave her a nod. “That would be best, I think.”


End file.
